The Prudent Professor

"Strengths of this book include its readability and accessibility to further information. Retirement is approached from the “what you put in is what you will get out” philosophy, encouraging the reader to learn what options are best suited for themselves. TIAA-CREF traditionally has been the retirement choice of many individuals in Higher Education. The detailed discussion of this plan puts retirement into perspective to individuals who use TIAA-CREF’s services. For individuals with a different retirement plan, The Prudent Professor still gives insight to the retirement process and its details... As a young professional, The Prudent Professor is an excellent resource. A crash course in financial planning and what to expect (based on today’s economic situation) when approaching retirement is explained very well."

NACADA Journal - National Academic Advising Association

"The Prudent Professor: Planning and Saving for a Worry-Free Retirement from Academe is a pick for any professor considering the pros and cons of varied plans offered by TIAA-CREF, one of the largest financial institutions serving education and non-profit employees. This offers professors easy ways to think about money and financial planning at different stages of life, offering worksheets, questionnaires, and specifics for those who work for higher education and non-profits. Any collection catering to professors and nonprofit workers needs this excellent, specific reference."

California Bookwatch

"A guide to retirement planning and investment management; includes frank discussion of working with TIAA-CREF that draws on the experience of the senior author, a professor emeritus at Stanford University."

The Chronicle of Higher Ed

"Bottom Line: Do I wish I had this book early in my academic career and at the beginning of my retirement? Absolutely! Should those who have thus far ignored retirement planning study its contents and then act? You bet! The sages on this Forum are already familiar with much of the book's advice and TIAA CREF's offerings, but as they are all financial literature and TC junkies, they would still enjoy reading and referring to it."

Stan "Economic Man"

Morningstar Forum

"In The Prudent Professor, Edwin Bridges, professor emeritus of Stanford, has provided an incredibly helpful guide to investment success. Targeted to members of the academic community, the book draws on his own careful research and long personal experience in building -- and protecting -- his retirement funds. He describes with candor where he went right--avoiding potholes--and where he went wrong--falling into them. His blunt appraisals of working with TIAA-CREF and with Vanguard (I should know!) are invaluable, indeed priceless."

John C. Bogle, Founder

The Vanguard Group

"The Prudent Professor is a welcome gift to every academic and professional who wants to prepare for retirement, and not just let it happen. It should be required reading for all of us who seek to invent our futures rather than simply try to predict them. The authors provide their readers with the analytic and judgmental tools to navigate through the dangerous reefs of retirement. By alternating valuable principles of investment and disbursement with Ed Bridges' own personal experiences of problem solving and critical reflection on his decisions, we come to understand our present and future choices with clarity, empathy and confidence."

Lee S. Shulman, President Emeritus, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

“There is so much in this book, that any brief statement falls short in doing it justice. Most professors feel too busy to actively plan the finances of retirement, and instead they put most of their trust in TIAA or other private or state pension plans to get it right. Professor Bridges shows that neglect courts financial disaster in the golden years and provides a readable narrative of practical guidance to avoid pitfalls and get it right."

Henry M. Levin, Professor Emeritus, Stanford University, and William Heard Kilpatrick Professor of Economics and Education, Columbia University

“If you’re like me, planning for retirement is right up there with going to the dentist and doing taxes on the enjoyment index. The Prudent Professor, however, is a great read on a tough topic. The writing is simple, direct and persuasive. The tone is conversational. The examples are clear, and thorny problems are discussed in a straightforward manner. Ed Bridges clarifies all of the issues in a patient way that left me wishing I had this book a decade ago.”

William G. Tierney, University Professor & Director, Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis, University of Southern California

“A well-written, jargon-free approach to self-directed financial health. The short, concise chapters provide both the rationale and methodology to identify your personal goals at each stage of your life; and the simple steps needed to achieve them – with an emphasis on keeping the cost of investment down to increase long-term returns. Any investor can benefit from using this guide as a reference, and is likely to make it dog-eared from frequent handling.”

Nicolet V. Evans, President, the Financial Planning Corporation of McLean, and Past President, National Capital Area Financial Planning Association

“Professor Ed Bridges takes his personal story and brilliantly extrapolates it into many different issues in retirement planning. His experiences guide the reader effectively towards doing the ‘right thing’ for his or her retirement. Every baby-boomer and financial advisor can benefit from The Prudent Professor.”

Jim C. Otar

Certified Financial Planner (CFP), and Founder, retirementoptimizer.com